1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to portable boats and in particular to portable boats, which can be assembled from and disassembled to a plurality of separate boat segments.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Boating is traditionally an exciting and popular sport that is enjoyed by many. However, a number of people are prevented from experiencing the joys of boating due to either: (a) the need purchase a large amount of expensive equipment; and/or (b) the enormous amount of storage space required to store the boat and its associated equipment when it is not use. Moreover, boaters also need to purchase additional equipment in the form of a boat trailer, towing equipment, or roof racks to transport the boat from their home or the boat's storage location to its place of ultimate use. Therefore, there is need to develop a boat which is both easily portable and easily storable for the user and does not require a lot of additional equipment to transport the boat.
In the past, many types of portable boats have been developed. These prior art portable boats can be classified in three general categories: (i) collapsible boats; (ii) foldable boats; and (iii) sectional boats.
Collapsible boats are typically characterized by one or more sides that collapse to form a more compact package for travel. One such collapsible boat is detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,282,616 issued to Battershill. The collapsible boat in the '616 patent requires the individual pieces of the boat to be "laced" together using a nylon cord and the placement of rubber strips at key joints for waterproofing.
Such collapsible boats are often formed using a flexible material such as rubber or rubberized canvas, alone or in conjunction with rigid sections. Often these collapsible boats can require many individual pieces that are complicated and time consuming to assemble. Additionally, the collapsible nature of the boats makes them more susceptible to stresses and opposing forces at the junctions of the various pieces, and therefore an overall unstable structure.
The second category of portable boats, the folding boats, are often characterized in that the boat sections are hinged together to fold over on each other. One such folding boat is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,865, issued to Yelderman. This patent shows a boat that is formed of two separated sections that are pivotally connected along a top edge. When in use as a boat, a pair flanges positioned at the joining edge of one boat section provide a means for securing the bottom edges of the two boat sections together at the bottom edge as well. However, the two sections of the boat are always attached at the top edge by the hinge. Even when folded, the boat is not compact or easily transported.
Another folding boat is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,183,002, issued to Parker. This patent discloses a folding boat, which comes apart in multiple sections that further fold along a centerline. The sections nest inside one another to form a more compact unit for storage. However, the boat does not provide for multiple points of connection between the sections to provide for a secure vessel.
Some of the disadvantages of the collapsible boats and the folding boats have been overcome by sectional or segmented boats. Typically, sectional boats have multiple rigid segments that can be completely separated for ease of handling and portability. Many such boats have sections that nest inside each other for easy storage.
One such nesting boat is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,574,725, issued to Dowd. In the '725 patent, the individual boat sections are formed so that they are identical in structure but vary in size for easy nesting. When assembled, the boat has an irregular shape, wherein it angles outward from a narrow point at one end to wide point at the opposite end. This design makes for an awkward boat shape that is entirely restricted by the dimensions of the largest section.
Another nesting sectional boat is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,145, which is of a more regular shape. However, the sections of the boat in the '145 patent are relatively large and when nested do not form a compact package.
Another point of weakness with prior art sectional boats is the mechanisms used to attach the segments to each other. The sectional boats of the prior art have provided for a variety attachment mechanisms to connect the plurality of sections to form a rigid boat structure. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,261,346 and 3,822,427 each provide for the individual boat sections to be joined by tongue and groove type of flanges positioned vertically along mating surfaces of the boats. The boat described in the '346 patent also uses a specially designed U-shaped clamp to further secure the sections together. While the boat detailed in the '427 patent uses a number of bolts and screws to further secure the sections together.
The tongue and grove or dovetail joints of these boats must be precision manufactured to provide for accurate mating between the sections of the boats. This type of precision manufacturing can often substantially increase the cost of manufacture and the likelihood of producing parts that are unacceptable.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,145, issued to Stone, there is shown a sectional boat in which the sections are joined by means of transverse clamping mechanism, another specially manufactured part. The sectional boats of the prior art have generally provided for complex means of connection between the segments that often require multiple parts, the use of additional tools for assembly, as well as special or precision manufacturing techniques to produce the boat sections.
Therefore, there is a need in the field of portable, sectional boats for a boat which has a regular outer shape for good boat performance, but wherein the sections of the boat will nest inside each other for compact storage and easy portability. There is also a need for a sectional boat which can be easily manufactured and assembled by the user without the use of complicated attachment mechanisms or additional tools. There is a further need for a sectional boat that has multiple points of attachment between each of the segments to provide for a secure rigid boat structure.